Today, electronic devices commonly use non-volatile memory devices such as, e.g., flash memory cards, compact flash (CF) cards, secure digital (SD) memory cards, multi-media cards, and memory sticks (MS)—(“memory cards”), because of their compactness and ability to be reprogrammed. Typically, these memory cards include a micro-controller executing firmware to perform basic operations such as reading and writing data to memory. Often times, manufactures of memory cards need to update firmware for adding new features or fixing existing problems. Firmware, however, is usually stored in a protected memory. The memory card typically is not able to access the protected area to overwrite data there. Because of the need to update firmware in the memory card, memory card makers and card readers are configured to implement special commands that release access to those protected areas.
A normal user, however, may use multiple types of memory cards (e.g., SD card and MS card), and each memory card may be configured to process a different special command to release the protected area for firmware updating. For example, a SD card maker may use a “61” command to release the protected area, and a MS card maker may use an “85” command to release the protected area. This causes problems to the user because a SD memory card reader may recognize the “61” command, but may not recognize the “85” command used by the MS card for firmware updating. Thus, to update firmware in memory card, the user must send the memory card back to the manufacturer or go to a repair store that uses the proper card reader matching the special command used in the memory card. As a result, updating firmware has become inconvenient to users and increases costs to memory card manufacturers that require special card readers.
Furthermore, frequent reading and writing may cause damage to the normal area in the memory, which can be compensated/repaired by using backup area of memory. However, when the entire backup area is used, prior art devices are returned to the manufacturer. Such prior art devices do not utilize out of range areas or reserved areas of the master boot record (MBR) to increase the backup area, and are not capable of reorganizing portions of normal area of memory and using it as backup area of memory.
Thus, what is needed is an improved technique for updating firmware or reorganizing memory block.